Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Marcano Kennedy.
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and originally trained as an architect at the Central University of Venezuela. After running my own architecture firm, life brought me to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2003—where everything changed.
What began as cooking for family and friends became my true calling. With the support of my husband, Scott, I pursued Culinary Arts, launched My Kitchen Gourmet, and later opened Marcano’s Take Out—the first Venezuelan restaurant in the area.
After moving north, I continued my journey and found a home at Providence Farm in Central Lake, Michigan. There, I not only helped shape the daily menu with my personal touch—bringing flavors like Tres leches, quesillo and cachitos, beloved Venezuelan staples— as well as breakfast items, but I also began hosting farm-to-table dinners, a dream I had always carried. These dinners were inspired by Venezuelan and South American cuisine, allowing me to share my roots, traditions, and flavors in a meaningful way.
Through those experiences, I discovered how much I love connecting people through food and culture.
Today, through Sazón Latin Flavors, I offer cooking classes, private dining, personal chef services, and catering—always showcasing the vibrant, soulful flavors of Venezuela and South America.
This work is deeply personal to me. It reflects my journey, my heritage, and my belief that food is one of the most beautiful ways to connect people.
My mission is simple: to connect people through food, culture, and unforgettable experiences.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all, it’s been a journey!
I first began by cooking baked goods inspired by Venezuela and South America, selling them online and at the Farmers Market in Ann Arbor. Along the way, I was fortunate to connect with a specialty food and wine store that began carrying my products and invited me to host tasting sessions.
Around that same time, I also started teaching cooking classes in a demonstration kitchen at a store in downtown Ann Arbor. One opportunity led to another, and eventually I opened Marcano’s Takeout. Although we later had to close the restaurant and move to Northern Michigan, I kept finding my way back to the kitchen—even when it meant starting over.
A partnership opportunity at a restaurant in Petoskey, Michigan opened the door for me once again to share Venezuelan food, which has always been my dream. Later, when my partner decided to sell and I struggled to find people to work with me in the kitchen, it felt like another door had closed.
Still, I kept knocking on doors, talking with people, and bringing food samples wherever I could. Eventually, I found myself offering a farm-to-table dinner at Providence Farm—a longtime dream that finally came true.
That dinner led to an opportunity to become the chef at the farm. During my time there, I hosted monthly farm-to-table dinners and cooked a wide variety of Venezuelan and South American dishes. I also created a new breakfast menu, developed meals to go, and prepared desserts filled with flavors from my home country.
After a year of introducing more people to my food, I finally started on my own again—this time as the chef behind Sazón Latin Flavors: South American Cuisine and Beyond.
Today, I share my love of Venezuelan and South American cooking through:
Cooking classes at a community kitchen in Traverse City, Private cooking classes, Personal chef services, Catering, Pop-up events
Here I am, like the song says, “on the road again.” And as I always say, I am having fun in the kitchen—cooking, sharing food, and connecting with people.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I began my professional life as an architect after graduating in Caracas, Venezuela. Architecture is a deeply creative profession, and it taught me a way of thinking and designing that I still carry with me today, even in the kitchen.
I also spent two years working with a glass artist, where I learned fusing and slumping. That experience brought together my architectural background and the expressive beauty of glass. I remember the artist once saying, “I would love to see what is in your head,” only to realize that my ideas were already taking shape on the table in the glass piece I was creating.
Cooking has become another creative path for me. In many ways, it is where architecture, glass, and food come together. Each dish gives me the chance to design, combine colors and textures, and create something meaningful to share.
When I plan a menu, I think about much more than what I want to cook. I consider how flavors will work together, how the colors of the ingredients will appear on the plate, and how the final dish will be presented. For me, the process includes all creative steps as for a architectural project, or a glass piece. I can describe as designing the overall idea of the menu, balancing flavors, colors, and textures, creating a beautiful and thoughtful presentation, sharing the finished dish with people at the table.
I feel grateful to have been able to do the things I love most: architecture, glass art, and cooking. Together, these experiences have shaped the way I create and have given me the confidence to share my work with others.
Most of all, I am proud to share the flavors and dishes I grew up with—whether at the table or in the kitchen during a cooking class—here in my second home, Michigan.
Any big plans?
This year, I started my food business again—my third one, and hopefully the charm: Sazón Latin Flavors, South American Cuisine and Beyond. My goal is to keep giving people the opportunity to taste the foods and flavors I grew up with, along with dishes inspired by other South American countries that share many ingredients, traditions, and flavors.
Through farm-to-table dinners, I learned how much people enjoy tasting food from other cultures and learning the stories behind it, especially when the experience is shared by someone who grew up with those traditions.
I plan to continue sharing these flavors through cooking classes in Traverse City as well as private cooking classes in people’s kitchens, Farm-to-table dinners, Pop-up events, Catering and personal chef services
This year, my plans feel big, happy, and full of possibility. I am looking forward to new adventures in the kitchen—cooking for people, having fun, and sharing the unique flavors of Venezuela, the Caribbean, and South America.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @sazonlatinflavors
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574509660920
